Friday, April 30, 2010

Based on Several True Stories

I hope I'm not the only one who is terrible unenthused about this trailer for the latest uplifting Disney animal movie, Secreteriat. The end of the trailer states that it is "based on a true story", and while that may be true (I haven't done the research because I can't be bothered), it's also very much based on many other movie blueprints, too.

Watch the trailer below and tell me that it doesn't just look like Phar Lap crossed with Seabiscuit, The Blind Side and even a bit of John Waters' Serial Mom. I don't know the history of this Secretariat horse, but I already know the film will end in one of two ways: The horse will win all three races or it will lose one, but everyone will realise how "gutsy" the horse was and the legend will enter horse racing folklore. Yawn, yes?

And it's so disappointing to see John Malkovich doing his loud, colourful shtick again after being so very, very good in last year's Apartheid drama Disgrace (Oscar-worthy, really). Diane Lane must be really fuming that Sandra Bullock just won an Oscar for playing a well-meaning, bottle blonde housewife trying to make something for herself in an uplifting sports drama since that seems exactly what she's trying to do here. What do you think?

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